Andy Swiger Land-Grant Award

Hunter Frame

Frame is an associate professor at the Tidewater AREC and one of his major Virginia Cooperative Extension and applied research program goals is focused on enhancing the breadth and impact of the Official Cotton Variety Testing Program in Virginia to determine the best genetics for Virginia growers.

Frame works to enable growers to increase profitability with reduced environmental impacts of cotton and other row crops. His program embodies the mission of the Land Grant University concept by providing practical solutions to real-world problems.

Frame is also a co-project director on the USDA-NIFA funded proposal “Securing our food: A translational experience for undergraduate students in plant sciences.” The development of the translational plant science fellowship program established the first and only undergraduate fellowship program at Virginia Tech which introduces underrepresented groups and students with no formal plant science experiences to basic and applied plant sciences.

In the time of digital content delivery, Frame has incorporated social media into his Extension outreach program in order to increase the impact of his research and extension programs.